Device for connecting a suction hose

ABSTRACT

The device according to the invention for connecting a suction hose has a connecting piece which is designed in such a way that the suction hose can be pushed over a region of the connecting piece in a sealing manner. The device also comprises a sleeve which can be pushed over the aforementioned region of the connecting piece, at least partially covering said piece and leaving room between the sleeve and the connecting piece for the suction hose. The connection between the sleeve and the connecting piece can only be separated by the destruction of at least one of said two parts. The design of the exterior of the sleeve prevents a second suction hose from lying in a sealing manner against the sleeve. A suction hose that is connected in a sealing manner to the claimed device can therefore not be removed without destroying the device. In addition, it is impossible to push a hose with a greater diameter onto the sleeve in a sealing manner.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to International Application Serial No.PCT/CH2008/000447 filed Oct. 24, 2008, which claims priority to SwissPatent Application No. 01680/07 filed Oct. 30, 2007, the contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a device for connecting a suction tube.

PRIOR ART

Tube connections of very different kinds are known in large number inthe prior art, in particular for suction tubes and drainage tubes in themedical field. Examples are described in EP 1 552 858, U.S. Pat. No.3,876,234, U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,091, U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,163, U.S. Pat.No. 4,607,868, U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,700 and WO 98/24500.

In a tube connection, or device for connecting a tube, the tube isusually pushed onto or into a connector piece and fixed by virtue of theshape of the connector piece or by means of an additional securing part.

In most devices, the suction tubes can be easily replaced. However,there are areas of use, for example in drainage applications, such aschest drainage, or in breastpumps for pumping off human breastmilk,where it is not desirable for the suction tube to be able to be removedfrom the device and possibly replaced by another one. Some reasons forthis are hygiene, functional safety of the pump system, and protectionagainst cheap or unsatisfactory copies of replacement parts.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to make available a devicefor connecting a suction tube, which device prevents the suction tubefrom being removed without destruction and prevents the suction tubefrom being replaced by another tube.

The device according to the invention for connecting a suction tube hasa connector piece which is designed in such a way that the suction tubecan be pushed sealingly over an area of the connector piece. The devicefurther comprises a sleeve which can be pushed over an area of theconnector piece and at least partially covers the latter, leaving roomfor the suction tube between sleeve and connector piece. The connectionbetween sleeve and connector piece can be separated only by destroyingat least one of the two parts, preferably both parts. The sleeve has anouter surface configuration that prevents a second suction tube frombearing sealingly on the sleeve.

In this way, a tube that has been connected sealingly at the time ofmanufacture or in the factory cannot be removed without destruction andrefitted. The device and tube are prevented from being connected to eachother improperly. The functional reliability of the device and itscompliance with hygiene requirements are ensured. It is also ensuredthat no cheap tube can be used instead of the original tube.

Moreover, a tube that has been fitted at the time of manufacture cannotsimply be cut off and replaced by a replacement tube of greater diameterthat is pushed over the sleeve. The outer shape of the sleeve makes itimpossible to obtain a sealed connection with such a replacement tube.This also ensures the functional safety of the suction unit, sinceanother suction diameter would cause another suction action.

This also ensures that all the parts of the device that are connected toone another at the time of manufacture can be used only for the lengthof time envisioned by the manufacturer or until any one of the partsbecomes contaminated or suffers a defect.

It also prevents easy-to-produce, unsatisfactory and cheap copies ofindividual parts of the device from being offered for sale. This isespecially important in drainage and in breastpumps, since in thesecases the breastshields, tubes and other parts of a suction unit used onthe patient or mother, respectively, are disposable articles and areused in large numbers, but must nonetheless meet strict qualitycriteria.

In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve has a main body with an externaldiameter and has an outer flange which is formed integrally on the mainbody and which has a diameter greater than said external diameter,wherein the flange is at least partial circumferential and has a contourdeviating from a circle shape.

The connector piece and sleeve are preferably made of plastic,particularly by injection molding. In this way, these parts can beproduced inexpensively.

The connector piece and sleeve are preferably connected to each other bya snap-fit closure, such that the parts have a relatively simple shapeand can therefore be inexpensively produced, particularly by injectionmolding.

The sleeve preferably contributes to sealing or fixing the suction tube.However, the sleeve can also rest on the latter in a manner free frompressure or can even be spaced apart from it.

The sleeve has the further advantage that it protects the tube fromoutside in the connection area thereof. If, moreover, the sleeveprotrudes beyond the connector piece, it protects the suction tube fromkinking and possibly breaking in this area.

Further advantageous embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter of the invention is explained below on the basis of apreferred illustrative embodiment depicted in the attached drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a diaphragm cap of a breastpump, with adevice according to the invention for connecting a suction tube shown inan exploded view;

FIG. 2 shows the diaphragm cap with the device according to FIG. 1 inthe assembled state;

FIG. 3 a shows a longitudinal section through the cap with the deviceaccording to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 b shows the longitudinal section according to FIG. 3 a with anincorrect replacement tube fitted;

FIG. 4 a shows an enlarged view of a detail from FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 b shows a variant of the detail according to FIG. 4 a;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of a connector piece according to theinvention in longitudinal section;

FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section through a sleeve according to theinvention;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the sleeve according to FIG. 6 from afirst side;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the sleeve according to FIG. 6 from asecond side;

FIG. 9 shows a part of a breastpump with diaphragm cap and deviceaccording to the invention, and

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a replacement kit with diaphragmcap, device according to the invention, breastshield, and breastmilkbottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrative embodiment described below relates to a device forsealingly connecting a suction tube to a diaphragm cap of a breastpumpfor pumping off human breastmilk. A diaphragm cap of this kind is knownfrom U.S. Pat. No. 6,699,213.

The inventive teaching, however, is not limited to this type of use. Forexample, the device according to the invention can be used, in thetechnical field of breastpumps, also for differently configureddiaphragm caps, for connections to the pump itself, and for connectionto the breastshield. Moreover, it can be used analogously in the fieldof drainage, particularly in wound drainage or chest drainage, or inother fields, particularly in medical technology.

The diaphragm cap 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has a usually stiff,bowl-shaped hood with an inner cavity 14. It is fitted onto a pumpdiaphragm of a suction pump and connected tightly thereto. The cavity 14communicates with the outside by way of a conduit 15 that runs inside aconnector piece 10. The connector piece 10 is connected fixedly to thediaphragm cap 1. The connector piece 10 is in this case produced in onepiece with the latter in a plastic injection molding operation. Theconnector piece 10 is preferably of inherently rigid design.

The free end 12 of the connector piece 10 protruding from the diaphragmcap 1 serves to receive a first end of a suction tube 3, which is shownonly as a small portion in the figures. The suction tube 3 is turned orpushed over this free end 12.

A sleeve 2 is pushed over the suction tube 3 and the free end 12 of theconnector piece 10 and bears with its end directed away from the tubeagainst an outer flange 11 protruding outward from the connector piece10. This can be seen in FIG. 2. The sleeve 2 preferably has a hollowcylindrical main body 21, and a radially outwardly protruding protectivering or flange 20 formed integrally thereon at the end directed awayfrom the connector piece. The sleeve 2 is also preferably produced in aplastic injection molding operation.

The suction tube 3 is connected at its second end to a breastshield (notshown here), which is used for placing on a human breast. The connectionof the suction tube to the breastshield can be releasable or fixed. Inthe latter case, separation is not possible without destruction.

In FIGS. 4 to 6, the connector piece 10, the sleeve 2, and the snap-fitconnection of these two parts, are shown in detail. As is shown in FIG.5, the connector piece 10 has an outer contour comprising abrupt changesin the longitudinal direction. An inner contour of the sleeve 2 changescorrespondingly abruptly in its longitudinal direction, as is shown inFIG. 6. In this way, a connection between connector piece 10 and sleeve2 can be created that is releasable only with destruction. A connectionof this kind can also be obtained by a different shape of the two parts.However, the connection is preferably a force-fit and/or form-fitconnection.

At its free end 12 directed toward the tube, the connector pieceaccording to FIG. 5 is provided with sealing ribs 12′ which, preferablyon the end facing away from the tube, are designed with a sharp edge oran incline, particularly a steep incline. The tube 3 can be pushed overthe free end 12 and is held sealingly and fixedly by virtue of the ribs12′, as is shown in FIG. 4. The tube 3 can in this case be pushed on asfar as a radially outwardly protruding inner flange 13 of the connectorpiece 10. This inner flange 13 has a smaller diameter than the outerflange 11. It forms a sharp and/or right-angled edge 13′ at least in thedirection toward the outer flange 11, that is to say on its side facingaway from the tube.

The sleeve according to FIG. 6 has an inner contour with several areas,in this case seven areas 22-28, which merge into one another by stepsand some of which have different internal diameters. A circumferentialstep or abutment edge 29 between two areas, here between the fourth area25 and the fifth area 26, likewise has a right-angled and/or sharp-edgeddesign. The areas 25, 26 here merge from a smaller internal diameter toa greater internal diameter in the direction toward the tube end.

The sleeve 2 can now be pushed initially over the tube 3 and, after thetube 3 has been pushed over the connector piece 10, the sleeve 2 canlikewise be pressed or pushed over this. The sleeve 2 slides with itsstep 29 over the inner flange 13 until its end face directed away fromthe tube bears on the outer flange 11. It is now no longer possible topull the sleeve 2 back, since its edge 29 bears on the edge 13′ of theconnector piece 10. The connection can therefore be released only bydestroying the sleeve 2 and/or connector piece 10.

As can be seen from FIG. 4 a, the sleeve 2 serves as a fixing or sealingmeans in respect of the tube 3. It thus lies with pressure on the tube3.

However, as can be seen in FIG. 4 b, it is also possible that the sleeve2 does not serve as a fixing or sealing means in respect of the tube 3.In this case, for example, it either lies on the tube 3 in a manner asfar as possible free of pressure or, as shown here, it leaves a spacefree between itself and the tube along the whole of their joint length.

The sleeve 2 also serves as a means of protection from the outside andif, as is shown here, its end near the tube protrudes beyond theconnector piece 10, it protects the tube 3 from kinking It thusincreases the stiffness of the tube connection.

According to the invention, the sleeve 2 now has an outer surfaceconfiguration that prevents a second suction tube 4 from bearingsealingly on the sleeve 2, as can be seen from FIG. 3 b. This ispreferably achieved by the fact that the outer contour of the sleeve 2,at least over a partial area, has a shape deviating from a circle shape.

For this purpose, in the example shown here according to FIGS. 7 and 8,the sleeve 2 has a flange 20, which is at least partiallycircumferential, but here extends around the full circumference, andwhich has a rosette-shaped design with recesses or indents 20′distributed about its periphery. Its flank directed away from the tubeis preferably rounded or shaped with a gentle incline. The flange 20 ispreferably arranged on that end of the sleeve which is directed awayfrom the connector piece. However, it can also be located at the endnear the connector piece or in an area therebetween.

In addition, ribs and/or grooves 21′ are preferably present in the mainbody 21 of the sleeve 2. They preferably adjoin the depressions orindents 20′ of the flange 20 and extend parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the main body 21. Instead of or in addition to the ribs orgrooves 21′, knobs or dimples or other types of depressions and/orelevations may be present. In the example shown here, axially parallelgrooves 21′ are present that adjoin the depressions 20′.

The device according to the invention can now preferably be used in aconnection unit of a breastpump for pumping off human breastmilk,wherein the unit comprises this device and the suction tube, which canbe connected to a breastshield. This connection to the breastshield canbe releasable again or can be releasable only with destruction. In thesecond case, the breastshield forms a suction unit together with saidconnection unit. Moreover, a breastmilk bottle attached to thebreastshield, or another milk-collecting receptacle, can also be acomponent part of the suction unit.

Alternatively or in addition to this, the connection unit can beconnected at the breastpump end to a diaphragm cap. FIG. 9 shows anupper part of a breastpump 5 with two pump diaphragms 50 arranged nextto each other. One of them is covered by a diaphragm cap 1, to which asuction tube 3 is secured.

If, as is shown here, the connection between diaphragm cap andconnection unit can be separated only with destruction, the diaphragmcap is once again a component part of the connection unit.

A preferred combination of these elements leads to a replacement kit, orsuction unit for breastpumps, that comprises at least one deviceaccording to the invention, a diaphragm cap 1 connected to the connectorpiece 10 integrally or only with destruction, a suction tube 3 pushedonto the connector piece 10 and covered by the sleeve 2, and abreastshield 6 connected to the other end of the suction tube 3releasably or in a manner releasable only with destruction. Thebreastshield 6 can additionally be screwed onto a breastmilk bottle 7 oronto a milk-collecting receptacle. A corresponding example is shown inFIG. 10.

Thus, a suction tube connected sealingly to this device according to theinvention cannot be removed from the device without being destroyed.Moreover, no tube with a greater diameter can be pushed sealingly ontothe sleeve.

1. A device for connecting a suction tube, wherein the device has aconnector piece which is designed in such a way that the suction tubecan be pushed sealingly over an area of the connector piece, wherein thedevice further comprises a sleeve which can be pushed over said area ofthe connector piece and at least partially covers said area of theconnector piece, leaving room for the suction tube between the sleeveand the connector piece, wherein the connection between the sleeve andthe connector piece can be separated only by destroying at least one ofthe sleeve and the connector piece, and wherein the sleeve has an outersurface configuration that prevents a second suction tube from bearingsealingly on the sleeve.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe connection between the sleeve and the connector piece can beseparated only by destroying both the sleeve and the connector piece. 3.The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a main bodywith an external diameter and has an outer flange which is formedintegrally on the main body and which has a diameter greater than saidexternal diameter, wherein the flange is at least partiallycircumferential and has an outer contour deviating from a circle shape.4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outer flange has arosette shaped design.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein theflange has depressions, which are adjoined by depressions of the mainbody.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flange isarranged on an end of the sleeve directed away from the connector piece.7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve can be connectedto the connector piece with a form fit or force fit.
 8. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve can be connected to the connectorpiece by a snap-fit closure.
 9. The device as claimed in claim 8,wherein the sleeve has an inner contour comprising abrupt changes in thelongitudinal direction of the sleeve, wherein the connector piece has anouter contour comprising abrupt changes in the longitudinal direction ofthe connector piece corresponding to the changes in said inner contour,and wherein the snap-fit closure is formed by means of the inner contourand the outer contour.
 10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thesleeve has a circumferential abutment edge on its inner face, and theconnector piece has a radially outwardly protruding first flange whichbears against the circumferential abutment edge in the direction counterto a direction of pushing-on of the sleeve.
 11. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the sleeve has a through-opening with an internaldiameter that changes several times along its length.
 12. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the connector piece has a free end withsealing ribs for sealingly receiving the suction tube.
 13. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a substantially hollowcylindrical shape and has depressions and/or elevations on its outersurface.
 14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the depressionsand/or elevations are arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of thesleeve.
 15. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve and theconnector piece are made of plastic.
 16. The device as claimed in claim1, wherein the connector piece has a radially outwardly protrudingsecond flange which serves as an abutment for the sleeve.
 17. Aconnection unit of a breastpump for pumping off human breastmilk,comprising: a suction tube having a first end and a second end, thefirst end being connected to the breastpump; a sleeve connected to thesecond end of the suction tube, the sleeve having an outer surface thatprevents a second suction tube from being attached to the sleeve; and aconnector piece connected to the sleeve; wherein the connection betweenthe sleeve and the connector piece can be separated only by destroyingat least one of the sleeve and the connector piece.
 18. The connectionunit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the device can be connected at thebreastpump end to a diaphragm cap that protects a pump diaphragm andthat can be removed from the pump diaphragm.
 19. The connection unit asclaimed in claim 18, wherein the connector piece is connected to thediaphragm cap such that it can be removed only by destroying thediaphragm.
 20. The connection unit as claimed in claim 19, wherein theconnector piece is formed integrally on the diaphragm cap.
 21. Theconnection unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein the diaphragm cap ismade of plastic.
 22. The connection unit of claim 17 further comprisinga breastshield located on the breastpump for placing on a breast,wherein the suction tube is connected at a second end to thebreastshield.